Gnora Mahs, Dr.P.H., MPH, is the Partnerships Director for Healthy Democracy Healthy People. Gnora grew up in a family filled with organizers and started her professional career as a community organizer after graduating from Ohio Wesleyan University. She strengthened grassroots movements for reproductive health equity and voting rights in Oregon before pursuing her graduate degree at the George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. Previously, Gnora worked at the Alliance for Youth Action as a Director of Network Capacity where she supported youth centered organizing on democracy reform and economic justice across the country. Gnora brings a deep understanding of the voting rights movement and what it takes to build strong community organizing campaigns. Gnora received a Doctorate of Public Health at George Washington University and her dissertation research focused on the relationship between voter participation and community health. 

Dara Alpert Lieberman is TFAH’s Director of Government Relations, overseeing the development and implementation of federal government relations strategies and working to advance and ensure implementation of TFAH policy priorities. Prior to that, Dara served as TFAH’s Senior Government Relations Manager, leading the organization’s advocacy around infectious disease prevention, disease surveillance, and strengthening the nation’s public health emergency preparedness and response capabilities. Ms. Lieberman previously served as a legislative representative for the American Counseling Association, where she advocated for mental health access issues. Ms. Lieberman has also served as a staff member for the Senate Committee on Armed Services. 

She secured an MPP from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. She graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Public Policy Studies from Duke University. Ms. Lieberman currently serves on the board of directors for Healthcare Ready, a nonprofit that works to protect patient access to healthcare in the face of disaster through collaboration with public health and healthcare. 

She also serves on the board of directors for the Coalition for Health Funding, a nonprofit alliance working to preserve and strengthen public health investments. 

Heidi Hancher-Rauch
Heidi Hancher-Rauch, PhD, MHES® has been a university faculty member and researcher for 20 years, the last 17 of those at the University of Indianapolis where she was a professor and director of the Public Health Program. She recently joined the faculty at Butler University as a professor of health sciences where she teaches public health and health science courses. She has practiced in the field for approximately 25 years, including work in the areas of community disease prevention and worksite health. Her areas of expertise include health policy and advocacy, program evaluation, and evidence-based health promotion. Health advocacy has always been her main passion, with the majority of her publications and professional presentations on the topic. Heidi has provided professional service to SOPHE as the Board Trustee for Advocacy & Resolutions, a long-term member of the SOPHE Advocacy Committee, and now as the president-elect to the Board of Trustees. Additionally, she has been the SOPHE delegate to the Coalition of National Health Education Organizations, is a member of the Top 10 Coalition Steering Committee, and previously served as the director of Indiana SOPHE Advocacy for two terms.

Jodi Brookins-Fisher
Dr. Jodi Brookins-Fisher, PhD, FESG, MCHES®, is a Professor in the Division of Public Health, School of Health Sciences at Central Michigan University. She is a past SOPHE Advocacy Committee co-chair and has served as the President of Eta Sigma Gamma. She is a passionate human rights activist and believes strongly in equity for all groups when it comes to access and affordable health care.  Additionally, she feels that advocacy within the Health Education profession should be at the forefront of our current and future endeavors, and that voting is a political determinant of health-go vote!

Alexis Blavos
Alexis Blavos, PhD, MCHES®, is currently a Professor in the Health Department at SUNY Cortland, and a current Director for the NCHEC DBCHES board. She is also a past National Director of Advocacy for Eta Sigma Gamma and co-chair of the Society for Public Health’s advocacy committee. Dr. Blavos’ academic and work experience includes more than 15 years of service in the public health field as a practitioner and researcher. Among her many research interests are advocacy and health policy.

Lindsey Myers
Lindsey Myers, MPH, is currently the Vice President of Public Health Workforce & Infrastructure at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials since February 2023. Prior to that, they held the role of Vice President of Social and Behavioral Health at the same organization from March 2021 to March 2023.Before joining the Association, Lindsey worked at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and at the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry and English, with a minor in Chemistry, from the University of Colorado Boulder. Lindsey also holds a Masters of Public Health degree in Chronic Disease Epidemiology from Yale University. 

Marcus Cheatham
Marcus Cheatham, PhD, has had a notable career in public health. He worked with the Ingham County Health Department for 18 years, serving as a health analyst and assistant deputy health officer1. He later became the health officer for the Mid-Michigan District Health Department, covering Clinton, Gratiot, and Montcalm counties. Cheatham played a significant role during the COVID-19 pandemic, delaying his planned retirement to help manage the crisis. He is known for his dedication to public health and his efforts to implement community health worker programs. 

Sarah Ravenhall
Sarah Ravenhall, MHA, CHES®, is Executive Director of the New York State Association of Health Officials. She is also the Chair of the State Associations of County and City Health Officials (SACCHO) Council, which leads state-level efforts to support and enhance the nation’s public health infrastructure. The SACCHO Council is an arm of NACCHO, which represents the country’s nearly 3,000 local health departments. 

Tameir Holder
Tameir Holder, MPH is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) student in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health and serves as Project Manager at Clinical Directors Network, Inc. (CDN), a not-for-profit organization and practice-based research network that conducts research in clinical settings. In her role, she has contributed to a range of studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. For over 15 years Tameir has been engaged in public health research and practice with a focus on health services, chronic care management, quality improvement, comparative effectiveness, and patient-centered outcomesTameir serves as a board member of the National Alliance of Public Health Students and Alums (NAPHSA), an organization that advocates for public health workforce loan repayment. She is currently President of the NAPHSA Chapter at Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health.